Generation, control, and transmission of electric energy, particularly for use on automobiles and like vehicles.



A. H. MIDGLEY.

RANSMISSION OI ELECTRIC ENERGY, PARTICULARLY FOR USE ON AUTOMOBILES ANDLIKE VEHICLES.

GENERATION, CONTROL, AND T APPLICATION FILED IEB. 26,1908.

Patented Nov. 24, I908.

W/7/I/[SSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT HENRY MIDGLEY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

GENERATION, OONTROL, AND TBANQHISBION OF ELECTRIC ENERGY, PARTICULARLY non USE QR AUTOIOB-ILES AND LIKE VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

To .all whom it may comm:

Be it known that I, ALBERT HENRY MIDG- war, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in and Relating to the Generation, Control and Transmission of Electric Energy, Particularly for use on Automobiles and Like Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the generation, control and transmission of electric energy and is articularly applicable for use in automob' es and the like vehicles.

I The invention has for its object the construction and system of arrangement of mechanism whereby the mechanical energy of anautomatically controlled rime mover is transformed into electrica ener in proper amount in an easily controllable manner by the person in charge and is re-transformed into mechanical ener at the desiredpoint for example the vehic e wheels, without the use of secondary batteries or of a complicated electric controller with its numerous contacts as at present used. in known systems of transmission.

To carry my invention into effect I use any kind of prime mover which can be automatically controlled from zero to maximum load within a small range of speed and I couple j the relative position of the field ma or connect to this prime mover a dynamo electric generator having two armatures one of which has only a small number of coils adapted to energize the field ma ets. The other armature is adapted to absorb the fullpower of the prime mover and generate current which can be taken oil the commutator 1 by brushes in the usual way, a shunt circuit from this armature for the field magnets being also provided as usual. The field magnets are adapted to move in an axial direction over thesetwo armatures so that the voltage generated increases as the field magnetsare moved over the main operative ar-' mature and vice versa. The current thus generated is taken to one or more electro-motors mechanically connected to the mechanism to reoeive the motion, for example the wheels of the vehicles.

I providemeans which maybe hand or foot operated for effecting the variation in ts and the two armatures so -that the variation in the voltage transmitted by the generator to the motor or motors can be made to suit the conditions relative to the mechanical resistances to be overcome.

I arrange in connection with the operating means for the enerator field magnets,switch arrangements y which the armature coils of the motor are short-circuited and I arrange a reversing switch acting in conjunction with the said operating-means by which the direction of current in the series coils of the field magnets is reversed in order to obtain a reverse motion in the motor or motors.

In the case of using compound wound motors I arrange the reversing switch on the shunt coil circuit of the field magnets and I provide switching devices whichact in conjunction with the operating means so that the series coil is first short-circuited and then the motor armature is short-circuited whereby the braking effect of the electric devices is arranged to act in three different stages of effect, viz :1st. when the series and shunt coils of the field magnets of the motor are arranged in opposition to one another, when the motor becomes a generator, 2nd. when the series coils are short-circuited which may be done in steps, and 3rd. when the motor armature is short-circuited.

It will be noted that the function of the supplementary armature of the generator is to build the field up in the generator from that due to the residual magnetism to that of the maximum obtained by current excitation and also whatever the osition of the armatures relative to the field may be, the field is always maintained at the proper relative strength.

In order that the invention may be the better understood I will now proceed to describe the same in relation to the accompanying drawing and to the letters and figures marked thereon.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the electrical mechanism arranged in accordance with my invention. F1 2 is a viewshowing the double armature generator separately. Fi 3 is a modified arrangement provided wit a connecting clutch to couple the generator and motor together mechanically.

The prime mover a is represented in this case by an internal combustion engine and is coupled to the generator 6 directly. This generator .b has two armatures c and d, of which the armature c has only a small numswitch to be orated only when her of coils e adapted to energize the field magnets j" f throu h the brushes 9 while the other armature is wound with coils h adapted to absorb the full power of the prime mover a, the current generated bein taken off by the bushes in the usua way. A shunt circuit P from the armature to energize the field magnets being provided as usual. The field magnets f f are adapted to move in an axial direction on guides d over the armatures 0 and (1 so that the voltage of the current generated can be increased as the field magnets are moved over the armature d and vice versa.

The current collected by the brushes 2', 2', is taken to an electro-motor k or electromotors mechanically connected with the mechanism to receive the motion, for example the wheels of a vehicle. Each'motor I: is preferably fitted with shunt coils Z andv series coils m m on the field magnets. I The movement of the field magnets f f is effected by any convenient mechanism such as a hand lever 10. and connecting rod 0 in connection with which is a switch arm 19 adapted to make contact with terminals grs and t so that when 9 and r are connected the series coils m on one field magnet of the motor is are short-circuited, when a is connected the series coils m on the other field magnet are then short-circuited and when t is connected the armature 'u is short-circuited. In this arran ement it will be noted that when the vehic e is running down hill and the motor is is actin as a generator the current in the series 001 s m m will be reversed and put in op osition to the shunt coils Z this will weaken t e field and produce a brakin efiect, if the speed is to be" further reduce I then the hand lever n is moved, first shortcircuiting coils m, then coils m and finally in the extreme position short-circuiting the armature '2) when the greatest electrical braking efi'ect is produce In order to reverse the direction of rotation or the motor In a reversing switch a is inserted in the circuit of the shunt coil Z and means are provided to interlock the movement of the reversing switch a with the hand lever 72.. The form shown in Fig. 1 of these interlocking means consists of a double slotted quadrant to with aradially disgosed connectmg slot w, the quadrantal ots form locking means for the pin to carried b I the lever a: attached to and operated wit the reversing switch which permits the reversin p the field coils and armature ofthe motor k are shortcircuited while the lever n can be put into any intermediate position with the reversing switch remaining locked} i In Fig. 3 themechanism is shown more in its ositions and in a more practical form than in Fig.1 and a mechanical clutch y is provided directly coupling the generator some: t

b and motor is together, adapted to be operated by connecting gear a from the lever n. A pivoted detent a with foot pedal attached is arranged to co-act with a tooth s on the connecting gear 2 to maintain the clutch in its operative position while the lever 12 is freejto move in order to adjust the position of the field magnet-sf f so that the generator I) and motor I: balance one another as far as action and re-action are concerned, when coupled, in which case the prime mover 0; is driving direct without electrical intermediation. The locking means for the reversing switch a shown is slightly difi'ereut in form although the same in function as that shown in Fig. 1, the device is of the-lever n and provide with a notch or recess m to allow the quadrant lever of the reversing switch to pass, in one position only of the sliding bar a, while the lever 12. is free to move for adjusting the position of the field magnets f f.

Instead of having two sets of coils on the field magnets of the generator I) as in Fi s. l and 2 only one set is used in series with t e coils of the armature 0 but in this case the said coils are taken round botharmatures a andd so that the field magnets f. f are energized to a constant extent whatever may be their relative position with the two armatures a and d.

lhe onieration is as follows zlhe prime mover a aving been started up it runs controlled automatically by its own governor a well known type. and consists of a slidin bar at coupled to which responds quickly to any change of I load; the field magnets f i having been placed over the armature c efore starting up. To startlup the motor is the field magnets are gradually moved over .the armature (1 until a sufiicient torque has been set up to overcome the inertia of the vehicle and the speed being re ulated by the specific posit1on of the fiel magnets f f to give therequired E. F. to overcome the resistance or the motor In and to-maintain it at the de sired speed. If it is desired to drive without electrical intermediation the lever n is drawn back, putting the clutch 3 into action in which position it is maintained until released by the foot operated detent a while the lever a isfree to move to adjust the field magnets to balance the efiects of the. generator on the motor and avoid loss of energy. Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 4 1. In a system of transm'ssion of energy, a prime mover, a dynamo connected to be driventhereby and having two armatures, a

field coil energized by one of said armatures,

a second field coil energized by a shunt circuit from the swond armature, means for moving said field coils axially with relation to the armatures, and an electric motor connected to receive current from said generator, substantially as described.

2. In combination a prlme mover, a dynamo driven thereby having adjustable field magnets, a motor receiving current from the dynamo, said motor having field magnets provided with shunt and series windings, and means operating in conjunction with the adjustment of the field magnets of the dynamo whereby said series windings of the motorfield magnets and motor armature are short circuited in turn to set up an electric bra-king effect, substantially as described.

3. In combination a prime mover, a dynamo driven thereby having adjustable field magnets, a motor receiving current from the dynamo, said motor having field magnets provided with shunt and series windings, and means operating in conjunction with the adjustment of the field magnets of the dynamo whereby said series windings of the motor field magnets and motor armature are short circuited in turn to set up an electric braking effect, and a reversing switch having means for preventing the operation thereof except when the field magnets and armature of the motor are short circuited, substantially as described.

4. In'combination a prime mover, a dynamo driven thereby, having an adjustable field, a motor receiving electric energy from said dynamo, a mechanical clutch device for connecting the armature of the motor directly to the armature of the dynamo, and means adjusting the field magnets when said armatures are clutched together to balance the action and reaction of the dynamo and motor, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT HENRY MIDGLEY.

Witnesses R. A. HOFFMANN, 4 CHARLES CARTER. 

